Muhammad Ali dead at 74.

[Black Diamond]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/amp/muhammad-ali-greatest-all-time-dead-74-n584776

[Elessar]

Mixed feelings on this...very mixed.

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/06/03/muhammad-ali-the-greatest-of-all-time-dead-at-74/21389345/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-1760640541_htmlws-main-bb

He stood up for what he believed in, yet turned his back on many.

Yes, he was great in the Ring, and turned Civil Rights advocate as well, for which
he is much better than our present gang of fools...

Draft refusal to serve the country that gave him doorway opportunities as a leader
is what makes me hesitate. However, it was the 60's....

[Gunny]

Mixed feelings on this...very mixed.

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/06/03/muhammad-ali-the-greatest-of-all-time-dead-at-74/21389345/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-1760640541_htmlws-main-bb

He stood up for what he believed in, yet turned his back on many.

Yes, he was great in the Ring, and turned Civil Rights advocate as well, for which
he is much better than our present gang of fools...

Draft refusal to serve the country that gave him doorway opportunities as a leader
is what makes me hesitate. However, it was the 60's....

Was a different world. I can't say I agree with his decision. But it was his to make. I remember it as a kid and he was the bad guy. The paradox to me was how can you fight for a living but refuse to fight for your country? He would have ended up on the Army's boxing team and never seen Nam.

I think it was definitely wrong that the boxing councils of states piles on and stripped him of his title when they had no part of his beef with he government.

What I learned later in life is he was good man. He was an act. He played the heel to purposefully incite people to boo him. They paid lots of bucks just to see him lose. It's a standard in pro wrestling. The promos draw the fans in. He just used the tactic in boxing and it worked. He was a master at it. I know Superstar Billy Graham got a lot of his trash talk from listening to Ali.

In the match he lost to Ken Norton he fought with a broken jaw. That's some hardcore sh*t.

Say what you want about his religion and politics, but in his prime? You're just taking an ass-whooping in the ring. He was THE best IMO.

[Atticus Finch]

Great athlete's are a different breed.Some can leave the game peacfully with dignity and some can't.Ali brought boxing to it's pinnacle and was the unquestioned champ.I also remember in his waning years him taking on fights with a series of stiffs that I thought were beneath him.But I guess when you're on your way up,on top,or losing your edge you've still got bills to pay.So,here's a big RIP for one of the greatest boxers of all time.

[jimnyc]

Muhammad Ali. Cassius Clay. G.O.A.T (greatest of all time)

I never followed his personal life. By the time I even watched TV, he was already the champ and the best. For a person that likes sports, that wants to aspire to better things, he was someone to lookup to and listen to. He had some great quotes over the years! I can only judge the man by his boxing, and his efforts for the sport and athletes in general after his retirement, and man was he good.

A cool photo of him with Joe Frazier.

RIP, Muhammad http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/september-11/salute-usa-flag.gif

https://i.imgur.com/2eRQVR6.jpg

[namvet]

when the fights over and they ring the last bell im gonna jump thru the ropes and take on Howard Cosell

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/46/67/47/10189294/13/920x920.jpg

[Black Diamond]

I don't agree with his religion nor his politics. I doubt he would have seen combat had he served.

Like Jordan, I wonder how great he would have been had he not lost several years in his prime.

It's hard for me not to love somebody with that much arrogance and cockiness who can back it up. And the trash talking... he would probably be fined for today.

[Black Diamond]

He should retired after the third Frazier fight imo.

[Gunny]

He should retired after the third Frazier fight imo.

He should have retired BEFORE it. Joe Frazier beat the Hell out of him. Frazier was not the #1 contender. And I'm not saying Frazier won. He won the first fight in 1971. Ali won the next two. But Frazier was a bruiser. If he just looked at you it hurt.

I'll take the aforementioned stiffs. By then, Don King was involved anyway. If Ali got half the money he was lucky. Ali had Cossell and his own mouth. He didn't need a promoter.

I did get to watch Ali fights until about 5AM though. :)

[Gunny]

How goofy is this? The flag Ali refused to fight for was it at half mast in Louisville. I hate to rain on the parade (not really :laugh: ), but that's just out there to me.

[Black Diamond]

How goofy is this? The flag Ali refused to fight for was it at half mast in Louisville. I hate to rain on the parade (not really :laugh: ), but that's just out there to me.

Obama will probably lower the White House flag.

[Black Diamond]

I wonder if he hadn't taken the time off, if he EVER would have lost.

[Gunny]

I wonder if he hadn't taken the time off, if he EVER would have lost.

I don't have to respect the decision to still respect the man. He didn't run off to Canada, and he whine all over the media. He knew the penalty for standing his ground and he accepted it. I can respect that. He didn't cave in to pressure. He manned his line.

I think I was an adult before I ever realize who and what he was. As a kid he was just another draft-dodger to me. He changed boxing and professional wrestling. He was a salesman from Hell. The days of walking out and hitting each other until one fell were over. The polite, mealy-mouths in interviews were done. He was over the top. You wanted to see him. And you did, he delivered.

I doubt he'd have been beaten if you take out that 3 year layoff. His problem was he didn't know when it was time to hang them up. I know from being a ring fighter it'll be cold day on Hell before you get me in a ring again. That doesn't mean I can't fight. It just means I'm not going to bother to. It hurts me worse than it hurts you even if I win.

Ali should have retired after he beat Frazier. He took beatings he shouldn't have. Leon Spinx was a brig guard at Quantico and on the Marine Boxing Team. That idiot can't spell "I". But he will flat beat the crap out of you. Ali should have retired before getting in the ring with that gorilla.

I don't actually believe he got Parkinson's from boxing. I think it was just there.

[Elessar]

I don't have to respect the decision to still respect the man. He didn't run off to Canada, and he whine all over the media. He knew the penalty for standing his ground and he accepted it. I can respect that. He didn't cave in to pressure. He manned his line.



That is my quandary over his legacy. I deeply respect him for standing his ground, however.
And he became a much better Civil Rights advocate than what we have seen the past 20 years.

He was not a bruiser in the ring. His hand speed and agility were amazing.

[Gunny]

That is my quandary over his legacy. I deeply respect him for standing his ground, however.
And he became a much better Civil Rights advocate than what we have seen the past 20 years.

He was not a bruiser in the ring. His hand speed and agility were amazing.

We all have our own positions, He took his stand and stood it. Nowadays you can get any one of these so-called Civil Rights leaders to switch position with the wind. He was always the same. He was always a man. He never whined when it was over. He just moved on. He died with dignity. I can admire that.

I actually can think of a few fighters I think would beat him half to death. He was a man of his time.

[Black Diamond]

We all have our own positions, He took his stand and stood it. Nowadays you can get any one of these so-called Civil Rights leaders to switch position with the wind. He was always the same. He was always a man. He never whined when it was over. He just moved on. He died with dignity. I can admire that.

I actually can think of a few fighters I think would beat him half to death. He was a man of his time.

Tyson 1987?

[Gunny]

Tyson 1987?

John L Sullivan. Jack Johnson. James J Braddock. Rocky Mariano. Floyd Patterson. Joe Lewis.

But it's like comparing the 70s Steelers to the 90s 49ers. The rules were so different.

If 62 Ali met 87 Tyson my bet would be on Ali. Ali was a master at ring psychology. Buster Douglas outsmarted Tyson. :laugh:

[Black Diamond]

John L Sullivan. Jack Johnson. James J Braddock. Rocky Mariano. Floyd Patterson. Joe Lewis.

But it's like comparing the 70s Steelers to the 90s 49ers. The rules were so different.

If 62 Ali met 87 Tyson my bet would be on Ali. Ali was a master at ring psychology. Buster Douglas outsmarted Tyson. :laugh:

And I still can't fucking believe it.

[Gunny]

And I still can't fucking believe it.

D'Amato did Tyson's thinking for him. He's an idiot. Once D'Amato was gone he circled the bowl quickly.

[revelarts]

Ali was one of the Greatest fighters of all time.
And was a great man who stood for his convictions publicly with his own mix of strength, humility and humor.

I've admired him since i was a kid.

Concerning his draft issues. He tired to get out of the Vietnam war on religious grounds by conscientious objection but was wrongly denied. He was convicted but the case went to the Supreme court where his conviction was overturned in an 8 to zero vote.

[revelarts]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOjCGtB0f-Q

a Muslim enjoying a tribute and friendship of a Jew.
And a mixed group of Americans.
viva'la America

[Elessar]

Ali was one of the Greatest fighters of all time.
And was a great man who stood for his convictions publicly with his own mix of strength, humility and humor.
<Snip>
Concerning his draft issues. He tired to get out of the Vietnam war on religious grounds by conscientious objection but was wrongly denied. He was convicted but the case went to the Supreme court where his conviction was overturned in an 8 to zero vote.

I have to think that both sides of this issue was greatly due to his celebrity status as well.
Not that I disagree with it. He stood his ground and accepted his fate.

[revelarts]

outstanding


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOKCoctNk9A

[Gunny]

Ali was one of the Greatest fighters of all time.
And was a great man who stood for his convictions publicly with his own mix of strength, humility and humor.

I've admired him since i was a kid.

Concerning his draft issues. He tired to get out of the Vietnam war on religious grounds by conscientious objection but was wrongly denied. He was convicted but the case went to the Supreme court where his conviction was overturned in an 8 to zero vote.

He was not wrongly denied, rev. His conviction was overturned based on politics, not law. The draft didn't end for several more years after the ruling. They have since reinstated having to register for it. The Supreme Court is supposed to rule on law, not religion or current popular politics.

When Ali refused to go, the military and war was not unpopular. He was seen as a coward. By the time the Supreme Court ruled, that mindset had done a 180. Military people were treated like sh*t and all the whining left wanted out of the war and didn't care what it cost. Iraq is deja vu all over again because lefties apparently like repeating mistakes.

Prior to the draft thing, most boxing fans didn't like Ali because of his mouth. What they didn't get is that it was by design. He basically took Gorgeous George's act and ran with it. He was willing to play the heel to sell tickets. It's a tried and true in both boxing and pro wrestling. You pay to watch him get his ass beat, but don't let him lose because the fun will be over. People have this issue with focusing on a symptom and not the disease. You do it a LOT.